The Academy By DivaBee

Meet Our Teachers

Owner/Founder

Jalyn Courtenay Webb

Not only is Jalyn known as a singer, actor and theatre mainstay in Northern Colorado, she has also been passionate and involved in arts education in Northern Colorado since 1990. As a college student, Jalyn began teaching classes at the Colorado Academy of the Arts in Fort Collins, where she also performed with the touring groups ENCORE and eLeMeNO-P. She was passionate about sharing her love of the arts, and begin teaching workshops and master classes in schools in Loveland, Greeley, Fort Collins and Windsor. She created a second location of CAA in Greeley while she was attending UNC, and by the end of her time there had 50 students all attending classes at the UCCC Rec center.

Awards

Henry Awards:

Best Actress – Always Patsy Cline 2017

Best Music Direction – Les Miserables, Motones vs. Jerseys

Best Supporting Actress – South Pacific

Best New Musical –Take to the Highway (Producer)

True West Award (Audience Favorite): Best Supporting Actress, Les Miserables

Di Smice Award – Favorite Faculty Member 2018, UNC Department of Theatre and Dance

Learn More

Over the years, Jalyn has stayed connected with kids in the arts, and has spent time teaching and creating classes for arts professionals, directing and music directing High School shows across the Front Range, and in 2015 she left her full time corporate life to begin a lifelong journey of owning her own performing arts academy right here in Fort Collins.
The Academy by Divabee is a place where kids of all ages can learn about performance, music, dance, acting, and most importantly- kindness. We seek to create a space of positivity, inclusivity and friendship.

Jalyn has her B.A from the University of Northern Colorado, and postgraduate studies in Music Education. She was a teacher at Traut Core Knowledge ( formerly Washington Core ) and created lesson plans that were selected to be presented at the National Core Knowledge Convention. She currently is on the faculty at UNC and teaches in the Music Theatre Department.

Jill Van Orden

Jill Van Orden is affectionately known as Miss Jill to children and teen performers throughout the greater Fort Collins’ area. As a free-lance choreographer for local high schools and other local performing arts organizations, Mrs. Van Orden choreographed over 20 full-length musical productions between 2000-2012. In 2012, she founded her non-profit organization Arts Reach Center, Inc. offering year-round performing arts opportunities both in her studio and through outreach programs to local public schools. Through Arts Reach Center (now Foundation), Miss Jill produced and directed over 40 productions at local performance venues and many local schools. Miss Jill is best known for the inclusive, thoughtful, and supportive environment she creates with each and every cast while teaching performance skills, developing self-confidence, and life-skills to each and every student. She is excited to join forces with Ms. Jalyn Courtney Webb of The Academy by Divabee to continue providing quality performing arts education for the Fort Collins greater community.

Susanna

Susanna Ballenski Houdesheldt has been classically trained in dance at The Edge Performer Arts Center in Los Angeles, musical theatre at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, and gymnastics and aerial arts in Denver. Recent performance credits include Guinevere in “Camelot,” Lucy Harris in “Jekyll and Hyde” and Lila Dixon in “Holiday Inn”(CDP). She has choreographed numerous competitive dance routines as well as “Legally Blonde Jr.” at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Susanna is thrilled have the opportunity to teach again, and cannot wait to get dancing with her students.

Taylor

Taylor Marrs is elated to be returning this semester to explore performing with the Academy’s wonderful young artists! You may recognize him from Fort Collins productions of Ragtime (Father), Grease (Teen Angel), West Side Story (Action), and more. Taylor attended Northwestern State University of Louisiana, concentrating in musical theatre and costume design. He has performed all over the country with many types of theatres. From outdoor historical dramas to touring educational theatre; equity houses to cafeterias.

With 12 years of professional work under his belt, he brings many artistic skill sets to share with our camp. Singer. Actor. Dancer. Costumer. Wig Designer. You name it, he can do it, or figure it out quick. Growing up in his local community theatre (in a camp much like ours) and performing arts schools, he learned that to be able to work successfully and full time in the arts he would have to acquire many skills in the field. Now he gets the chance to share all those things with the future of the arts, your talented youngsters!!!

Lincoln

Lincoln Brandt is currently a sophomore at CSU, studying music education. He has been involved in Academy and Arts Reach Center productions since elementary school, and grew to love theater and music while participating in the performance and the production of shows. He has now directed music for multiple Academy shows, such as Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Peter Pan. He is passionate about music and committed to leaving everyone he teaches with a new appreciation for music and performance!

Lincoln also offers private instruction in piano, voice, guitar, AND music theory!
Rates:
$25 per half hour
$45 per hour

Email Lincoln to Book!

Seth Private Acting Coach

Seth Caikowski is an award winning professional actor/Director for the last ten years in the Colorado area. He has had the opportunity to work at every professional theatre from Lonetree to Ft Collins. You may have seen him in such roles as Shrek in Shrek the Musical, Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone, and Man 2 in over five different productions of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. He has a passion for theatrical professionalism, and his focus has now shifted to helping anyone who wants to build an audition book, audition prep, or just hone their acting instincts and step out of the box.

Rates:

$35 per half hour

$65 per hour

Email Seth to Book!

Colten Private Vocal Instructor

Colten Blair is a native Coloradoan who, until recently, was maintaining an active teaching, performing, and auditioning schedule in New York City. He is a graduate of the NYU Steinhardt Master’s of Music Program in Vocal Performance (Musical Theatre) and Vocal Pedagogy, with years of experience teaching voice. Colten holds two Bachelor’s degrees from Northern Arizona University: Vocal Performance (Classical Voice/Opera), and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology.

Pre-COVID, Colten was seen traveling the country in the National Tour of The Sound of Music, as Rolf, as well as a member of the ensemble. He got his Equity card playing Young Ralph/the Young Man in Joe Dipietro’s play The Last Romance, playing opposite the likes of P.J. Benjamin and Louisa Flaningam at Vero Beach’s esteemed Riverside Theatre in Florida. Other favorite roles include Link Larkin in NYU Tisch’s Hairspray! Albert Lennox in The Secret Garden, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Edwin/The Defendant in Trial By Jury and Prince Philippe in A Dinner Engagement.

He loves helping singers of all ages and types unlock their individual instruments, and believes that by establishing a healthy technical foundation, anyone is capable of singing in all manner of styles. He seeks to empower every singer he works with, and provide them with knowledge and skills for a lifetime of music-making.

Email Colten to Book!

Along with this unparalleled musical theatre training, we offer the chance to “be seen” by other professionals in the business (agents, casting directors, choreographers, composers, directors, producers) .We offer multiple productions each year!

FAQ

Frequently Asked

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

-All State and County mandates will be followed.

-Temperature checks upon Arrival

-Social-distancing as necessary

-Strict Adherence to staying home if you do not feel well at all - this is SUPER important!

-Regular cleaning and sanitizing throughout the day

What should students bring to class?

-writing utensil

-Water bottle

-Appropriate shoes - dance shoes or clean close-toed shoes you can move in

-Any materials that your teacher may give you (always a good idea to have a binder or folder for papers)

-a good attitude!

How do I register for camps and classes?

If you are a new student, please create an account here.

Specific registration information can be found on the 'Our Classes' page or at the top of this page.

Cancellation Policy

Please contact admin@divabeeproductions.com if you need to cancel your registration.

10-week classes can be cancelled for account credit for future classes and camps.

Summer camps have specific dates for cancelling for a refund with deposit or account credit. Please visit the detailed Summer Camp pages for those dates.